The reason Catholicism survived in Ireland is at least twofold: first, Protestantism was the religion of the hated invader, but just as importantly, the Church had never been the tyrrany it became in richer countries. Ireland never had the Inquisition, burnings of heretics, or bloated monks. It was this tolerant church that sustained them through the ages of persecution, but in the 19th century, with independance in sight( 1860s onwards), the Church changed its strategy, and looked forward to being a power in the land. The destruction of Parnell was a stage in this, and the process went far beyond independence- the 1950 (ish) Mother and Child Act, which sought to introduce a watered- down welfar state, was howled down by the clergy fearful of the eroion of their control.

The whole assumption behind their actions was that the Church could not be criticised by the secular authorities, and that any problems should be dealt with internally, like the Russian Stalinists that they so much decried.